Seminole Police Department – Tampa

The Tampa Reservation of the Seminole Nation is located in Hillsborough County at one of the most lucrative casinos in the world. The Tampa Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is owned and operated by the Seminole Tribe under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 25 U.S.C. § 2701, et seq.

Occasionally, the officers with the Seminole Police Department at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino are involved in traffic enforcement on the casino’s property, including accident investigation, writing traffic tickets, making a DUI arrest, or assisting other law enforcement operations.

The Tampa Reservation of the Seminole Tribe of Florida also includes the Seminole Smoke Shop at 5221 Orient Road, Tampa, Florida 33610.

Attorney for Arrests by the Seminole Police Department

If you were arrested by an officer with the Seminole Police Department in Tampa or Lakeland, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney in Tampa, FL, at Sammis Law Firm.

Our criminal defense attorneys represent clients on various felony and misdemeanor cases throughout Hillsborough County and Polk County, including criminal traffic offenses such as DUI.

We are familiar with the tactics used by officers with the Seminole Police Department at the Tampa Command and the Lakeland Command. The Lakeland Reservation covers approximately eight hundred (800) acres in the Lakeland area in Polk County.

When fighting these cases, we know how to address claims of tribal sovereign immunity that often arise when the Seminole Police Department is involved in the case. As a sovereign Indian tribe, the Seminole Tribe and its agents are entitled to sovereign immunity.

The doctrine of tribal sovereign immunity guards against the unwarranted exercise of state and federal jurisdiction over tribal affairs, which would impinge on tribal self-government.

Contact us for a free consultation to find out how arrests by the Seminole Police Department are prosecuted in the courthouse in Tampa, FL. Call (813) 250-0500.

Criminal Investigations by the Seminole Police Department in Hillsborough County, FL

The Seminole Tribe of Florida is a federally recognized Indian tribe. The Seminole Police Department is a subordinate governmental unit of the Seminole Tribe of Florida (SPD). The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is located on the Tampa Reservation of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

The Seminole Tribe operates its police department and law enforcement functions under a Self-Determination Contract authorized by Public Law 93-638 as a part of the government-to-government with the United States of America. 28 U.S.C. § 2679.

Under the Self-Determination Contract for law enforcement services, the federal government funds the Seminole Tribe’s law enforcement services, as this function was one that the federal government was previously obligated to provide to the Seminole Tribe.

Comprised of sworn, civilian, and part-time staff, the Seminole Police Department is the primary law enforcement organization for all Seminole Tribe of Florida Trust Private Properties. SPD officers are Florida State Certified and meet the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) requirements.

The Seminole Police Department has law enforcement jurisdiction over seven Reservations in Tampa (Hillsborough County). The police department enforces Federal, State, and Tribal laws and investigates all criminal activity within the boundaries of all Seminole Tribe of Florida Trust Private Property.

The Operations Division of the Seminole Police Department has one Patrol Division in Hillsborough County.

DUI Arrests by the Seminole Police Department (SPD)

The Central Breath Testing Unit (CBTU) with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office keeps statistics on DUI cases in Hillsborough County, FL. Those statistics show:

• In 2014, the Seminole Police Department made two (2) DUI arrests with one breath test, one refusal, 50% refusal rate, and an average BRAC of .285.
• In 2015, the Seminole Police Department made one (1) DUI, with one refusal to submit to breath testing.
• In 2016, the Seminole Police Department made four (4) DUI arrests with one breath test, two refusal, 50% refusal rate, and an average BRAC of .188.

Civil Lawsuits Against the SPD or Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

What happens when you suffer a personal injury or civil rights violation at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino?

The first step is determining whether the claim must be filed under the FTCA. Under the FTCA, a party claiming to be injured by tribal law enforcement operating under a Self Determination Contract must make a pre-suit submission on Form 95 following the pre-suit notice requirements outlined in 28 U.S.C. § 2675.

The Plaintiff must then allow six (6) months to pass to allow the United States of America to investigate the claim. Important deadlines apply in these cases before a claim can be brought.

Additional Resources

Seminole Police Department – Visit the website of the Seminole Police Department to learn more about the services they provide in Tampa at the Hardrock Casino. Find information on how to request a copy of a police report provided by the Seminole Police Department Records Unit and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The cost to have the police report emailed to you is $15.00 for any report equal to or less than 15 pages.

This article was last updated on Tuesday, May 30, 2023.